1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer chat, and more particularly to a method of and system for providing an intelligent minimize chat function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer chat and instant messaging have become popular means of communication both in the workplace and in individual personal computing. Chat sessions are implemented with chat clients installed on networked computers. A chat client displays a window on a user's desktop. Chat messages from others are displayed in the window and the user can send a message to others by typing the message into the window.
Typically, whenever a message is received during the chat session, the chat window is surfaced on the user's desktop and it becomes the user's focus. Thus, if the user is working on another application window when a chat message arrives, the user's attention is diverted away from the other application window and the chat window becomes the active window on the user's desktop. In some chat systems, there is a setting that prevents a minimized window from popping to the top of the stack on the users desktop when a new message arrives. In those systems, the receipt of a new message is indicated by a blinking icon or the like. The user can look to see if the new message is of interest, but in doing so the user must divert attention from the current focus.
Currently, a user can enter a do not disturb (DND) mode in which incoming chat messages are not received. However, the current DND mode may be overly restrictive. For example, a user can send chat messages while the user is in DND mode. The user intends to communicate with the recipient of the chat message but does not want to be bothered with messages from others. The current DND mode prevents messages from being received even from the sender with whom the user wants to communicate. Additionally, a user may wish to participate to a limited extent in a chat session without having the chat session be the constant focus of his or her attention. For example, the user may wish to do other work during the chat session but be able to respond or comment when his or her input is needed. The currently existing chat settings do not provide that ability.